Warriors One-Shots
by Firestream of Ice
Summary: From the worst villains to the most heroic characters, this collection contains one-shots of some of the not-so-main Warriors characters, centering around a different character in each chapter. Please read!
1. Too Late To Change - Clawface

Clawface padded back into the ShadowClan camp, a lizard hanging loosely from his jaws. As he padded over to the fresh-kill pile to drop it off, he let out a yowl of shock and horror as he saw a broad-shouldered, dark brown tabby tom with large front paws lying limp in the center of the clearing. His ear was shredded, and scars criss-crossed over his pelt, and a huge gash could be seen on his throat. Clawface struggled not to wince as he gazed at his dead leader's body. He lifted his head upward into a yowl. "Raggedstar! No!"

Numb with grief, he padded over to the fresh-kill pile and let the lizard drop onto it. A sweet scent wreathed around him, and Rowanberry, his mate's, breath stirred his ear. "Who could have done such a thing?" The cream and brown she-cat's amber eyes reflected the same horror that was seen in his yellow ones.

Clawface padded over to his former leader's body and buried his nose into Raggedstar's cold, dark fur. "How did he lose all his lives at once?"

The ShadowClan medicine cat, Yellowfang, stalked over, anguish evident in her orange gaze as she whispered something inaudible into Raggedstar's ear. Her mew was wracked with grief as she turned and answered Clawface's question. "If a wound is deep or severe enough, a leader can lose more than one life." Clawface had always known that Yellowfang and Raggedstar had been close friends, so it was understandable that Yellowfang was upset.

Brokentail, the ShadowClan deputy, padded toward Raggedstar's body, an unreadable expression on his face. Without a word, he leaped onto the Clanrock, his amber eyes gleaming with something Clawface was unable to put a word to. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Clanrock for a Clan meeting!" he yowled.

Clawface sighed and watched as more of his clanmates shot sorrowful looks at Raggedstar's body and joined him and Rowanberry in the clearing. Brokentail was speaking again, and he pricked his ears to listen to his friend. "ShadowClan have won against WindClan in this battle!" he yowled triumphantly. "However, we suffer a great loss. Our former leader Raggedstar was killed by a WindClan warrior and now hunts with StarClan."

Clawface let out a sound of mourning, but he turned to listen to Brokentail again. "I am ShadowClan's new leader, and I will do everything I can to make ShadowClan strong! I will not rest until WindClan has been punished, and until ShadowClan is feared by every cat in the forest," he announced. "They will bow down before us! From now on warriors will only fight and train for battle. Hunting is of little importance, and cats will have to find food where they can."

From behind him, Cinderfur let out a yowl. "Brokenstar!"

Proud and happy for his friend, who had always wanted to be leader, Clawface joined in, as did the rest of the clan. "Brokenstar! Brokenstar! Brokenstar!"

"Tonight, I will go to the Moonstone to receive my nine lives," Brokenstar mewed. "Meanwhile, I must choose a deputy. I say these words before my warrior ancestors, so that StarClan may hear and approve my choice. Blackfoot will be the new deputy of ShadowClan."

Clawface cheered loudly as he saw the white tom step forward. "Blackfoot! Blackfoot!"

"I will do my best, Brokenstar." Clawface admired the huge tom's calmness and poise while the clan cheered for him.

Brokenstar dipped his head. "Now, I need an apprentice. Where are your kits, Featherstorm?"

"Wait!" Clawface was shocked to hear Yellowfang interrupt Brokenstar. "They aren't old enough, Brokenstar!" The gray she-cat's orange eyes blazed with anger and confusion as she faced the ShadowClan leader defiantly. _What does she have against Brokenstar?_

"I am the leader, and this is my decision," Brokenstar growled. Clawface nodded calmly. _Of course. We need apprentices if he's going to avenge Raggedstar's death!_ "Mosskit, step forward." Featherstorm glowered, but her son's eyes glowed with pride. "From this moment onward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Mosspaw. I will be your mentor." Clawface watched as the leader leaped down to touch noses with the little tom.

"That's not fair!" he heard Dawnkit complain.

Brokenstar purred in amusement. "I promise you will be apprentices when you're as tall as your brother," he mewed. "Blackfoot can have Dawnkit, and Clawface can have you, Volekit." _I'm going to have an apprentice?_

Featherstorm let out a sound of anger, but Clawface padded over to her and rested his tail on her shoulder. "We need warriors," he mewed, quoting Brokenstar, "and if we wait any longer, WindClan and the other clans will invade and destroy us." A few murmurs of agreement rose from the crowd, and Clawface dipped his head before stepping back to where he stood beside Rowanberry.

"Why did you say that?" Rowanberry hissed. "You know they're too young!"

"Would you prefer the clan to be destroyed?" Clawface countered evenly.

"It won't be destroyed!" Rowanberry snapped. Clawface simply shrugged and turned away from his mate, watching Brokenstar as he nodded.

Wolfstep lifted his voice to make it heard through the clan. "We need warriors."

Brokenstar dipped his head. "And for that, first, we need apprentices. If the other clans attack us before we can attack them, we will be destroyed! And, as leaf-bare is here, we will have to take land from other clans to survive. If we are not to be defeated, we need warriors!"

oO0Oo

A little over a moon passed, and more and more warriors were starting to accept what Brokenstar was saying, becaues of the hunger they faced this leaf-bare. Clawface felt tears spring to his eyes. Rowanberry snarled in his face. "How can you _approve_ of what Brokenstar is doing?" she hissed.

"How can you not? We need warriors, and it would break the warrior code to disagree with him!" Clawface mewed. What Brokenstar said made perfect sense to him. ShadowClan needed young cats that would make promising warriors, and ShadowClan would have to take over other clans to survive this leaf-bare.

Rowanberry shook out her cream and brown fur, then raised her tail. "This is also breaking the warrior code! Training three-moon-old kits!"

"We must do whatever we can to survive," Clawface growled. "Besides, see how limited and restricting the warrior code is? We might even be better off without one, because _look_ what we can't do because of it!"

Rowanberry's amber eyes blazed with fury. "Have it your way, Clawface. You are no longer my mate." With that, she turned and stalked away, leaving Clawface staring helplessly after her. Suddenly, fur brushed beside him.

"You did the right thing," a voice mewed.

"Brokenstar!" Clawface whipped around to look at his friend.

The dark brown tom nodded. "If she thinks that way, it's better she doesn't influence you anymore," he growled darkly. "You understand what I meant, right? We need warriors to help fight and take over other clans this leaf-bare, so we have more area to survive!"

Clawface nodded. "Of course I do, Brokenstar."

"And any cat that object will face the consequences."

"Yes."

"Good." Brokenstar dipped his head. "Now, go on. Go and train Volepaw for battle. Blackfoot and Dawnpaw are already there."

oO0Oo

"ShadowClan have lost a cat, Badgerpaw, because of an attack by WindClan," Brokenstar growled, pointedly glaring at Tallstar. It was the gathering today, and a few moons had passed since Clawface had left Rowanberry. Suddenly, he heard Rowanberry beside him, muttering to Blackfoot.

"He was barely three moons old!" Rowanberry hissed. Clawface's fur relaxed as he saw Blackfoot shoot her a glare and mutter something in her ear.

"Is that all?" The ThunderClan leader, Bluestar, asked. Brokenstar nodded, stepping back. "Then the gathering is over," the blue-gray she-cat mewed, nodding. Clawface watched as Brokenstar leaped off the Great Rock and landed gracefully on the ground.

"ShadowClan! To me!" he yowled.

Padding over to him, Clawface glimpsed Yellowfang, in deep conversation with the other medicine cats, shooting glances at Brokenstar from time to time. _She's saying something that she doesn't want Brokenstar to hear,_ he realized. Brokenstar had asked all his loyal supporters to report if a cat was spreading word against him. Creeping closer, he picked up phrases from Yellowfang.

"... training kits... too young... breaking the warrior code!" Yellowfang was saying.

Clawface's fur bristled, and he let out a low growl before padding back to Brokenstar. His yellow eyes glowered as Yellowfang came over to join the group. Padding over alongside Brokenstar, he murmured in his ear: "Yellowfang."

oO0Oo

"ShadowClan! Attack!" Brokenstar hissed, hoping to keep the advantage of surprise. It was the middle of the night, and Brokenstar had arranged a raid on WindClan. At the previous gathering, WindClan had refused to give up any land, so Brokenstar had warned them of an attack. Two WindClan warriors stood guard that night. As a gray tom opened his jaws to yowl a warning to the clan, Clawface sprang into action, pinning the warrior down and covering his jaws with his paw. Brokenstar purred as he saw Clawface. "Go on, finish him off," he goaded.

Clawface nodded and slit the warrior's throat, as he crumpled down, never to move again. However, the she-cat who stood beside him shrieked out before Blackfoot pounced onto her, tearing into her. Clawface smirked as a young tom padded nervously out of the apprentices' den. _He has no idea who he's dealing with._

"I'll take him," Clawface growled to Brokenstar. He pounced on the little tom, biting down on his throat, smirking as he heard a satisfying crack.

More and more warriors poured out of their dens, and Clawface got a glimpse of the black and white Tallstar padding out of his den. Brokenstar leaped onto him and pinned him down, spitting and clawing viciously. Miraculously, Tallstar thrust him off, and yowled, "Retreat! WindClan! Retreat!"

Brokenstar glared. "Go, and don't come back."

"You mean-" Tallstar began.

"Yes."

Deadfoot, the WindClan deputy, padded over. "We need to leave, Tallstar. Let's go." He raised his voice. "Are all the cats out of the dens? Morningcloud? Where is she?"

Ashfoot padded forward. "She and Eaglekit are with Onewhisker and Thrushwing. Everyone's out. Let's go!" She cast a frightened look at Clawface before racing after her clanmates, away into the night. Clawface felt a pang of pity, but he thrust it away. _We need to survive._

Brokenstar threw his head back in a yowl of victory. "Now, to weaken the other clans..."

oO0Oo

"Now, I will have one cat go to ThunderClan and weaken them by killing Spottedleaf," Brokenstar growled. "Then, they won't have a medicine cat, unless they make use of Yellowfang." Yellowfang had been banished a few days ago for murdering Brightflower's kits.

"I'll go," Clawface volunteered. _Anything to be loyal to my leader._

"Good. Clawface, disguise your scent. Go!" Brokenstar mewed. Clawface stalked into ThunderClan territory, grateful that there was no border patrol at the time. Dropping into a crouch, he rolled in a clump of ferns, effectively disguising his scent. Keeping low to avoid ThunderClan cats, he stalked forward. _There!_ Clawface hadn't expected to find the tortoiseshell medicine cat so soon.

 _Out collecting herbs, probably._ He stalked closer, realizing that Spottedleaf was heading back toward the ThunderClan camp. _I'll have to be quick._

With a growl, Clawface leaped in front of Spottedleaf, blocking the beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat's path. Spottedleaf's eyes widened in terror. "Good day, Clawface," she mewed, though her trembling voice betrayed her fear. "What brings you here?"

"It won't be so good for you," Clawface returned, "after I've finished with you." He unsheathed his claws, making Spottedleaf turn tail and dash through the trees. "Not so fast, medicine cat!" He smelled a new scent now. _Kits._ His eyes narrowed as he spotted two kits trembling amongst the ferns. Spottedleaf had paused, confused.

"Why did you leave camp?" he heard her murmur to them.

Clawface crept closer before launching himself onto Spottedleaf. Spottedleaf opened her jaws to let out a yowl of terror, but Clawface clamped a paw over her jaws, muffling her yowl. The medicine cat edged toward the kits, as if guarding them protectively, but Clawface simply laughed. "A medicine cat and two kits," he mocked. "Not enough to take on a warrior."

With that, he slashed his claws across her belly, making Spottedleaf stumble and gasp in pain. "I was under orders to kill you, Spottedleaf," he growled. "And that's what I'll do." Spottedleaf let out a final, desperate, fading yowl as Clawface raked his claws across her throat. He sniffed her cautiously, half expecting her to rise and fight back. But as he recognized the death scent on her, he sighed in relief.

 _Kits. They might make good warriors for us._ He padded closer to the two kits and picked them up in his jaws. "Be quiet, you two," he growled, as they whimpered. "You're going to somewhere wonderful."

"Where?" one kit asked, and Clawface didn't reply. He simply tore through the ThunderClan forest, the two kits swinging from his jaws, Spottedleaf's body far behind him as he burst back to ShadowClan.

Brokenstar's expression was delighted. "Well done!" Clawface dropped the kits onto the ground.

"Spottedleaf was guarding them," Clawface growled.

"You finished her off?"

"Yes."

oO0Oo

Clawface slashed and bit at Fireheart, as the ThunderClan cat's resistance was weak. The ShadowClan cats had been exiled from ShadowClan by the new leader, the former elder Nightstar. The rogues led an invasion on ThunderClan, led by Brokenstar. Clawface was in the thick of battle, spitting and clawing.

Suddenly, he felt claws sink into his back. _Is this the end?_ Heaving a gasp of pain, he drew his last breath as he found himself looking into Graystripe's eyes. He sighed softly as Graystripe's claws pierced the back of his throat.

 _Maybe Rowanberry was right. Maybe I shouldn't have followed Brokenstar. What he did was wrong. And I was wrong to follow him._ The light died from Clawface's yellow eyes. _But it's too late to change back._


	2. Your Fate Was Unavoidable - Willowpelt

Willowpelt padded after Firestar, her paws twitching as she imagined a hunt. It was leaf-bare, and the clan needed to be fed. Whitestorm's and her son, Sootpaw, would be coming along with herself, Firestar, Ashfur, and Thornclaw for a hunting patrol. "I wonder what we'll find," Firestar remarked.

"Not much, that's for sure," Ashfur returned. "It's leaf-bare."

Firestar shrugged. "Sootpaw," he mewed, turning to the young apprentice. "What do you smell?"

Willowpelt watched as her dark gray son opened his jaws to sniff the air. His answer was prompt as he replied to the clan leader, though Willowpelt knew Sootpaw well enough to be able to tell that he was a little nervous to speak directly to the clan leader. "The Thunderpath... and a Twoleg with its dog." He sniffed again. "And vole."

"How long ago do you think the Twoleg and its dog were?" Willowpelt prompted.

Sootpaw opened his jaws again. Willowpelt purred as she realized how determined he was to get these answers right, especially because he was in front of Firestar. "I think... yesterday?" His voice came out as a question. Firestar narrowed his eyes, then nodded.

"I think so, too," the ginger tom confirmed. "Well done, Sootpaw." As Sootpaw puffed out his chest, Willowpelt let out a purr of pride and happiness for her son. The ThunderClan leader's eyes gleamed. "Come on, let's renew the scent markers while we're here."

"Good idea," Thornclaw mewed. "It saves some work for other patrols."

Willowpelt padded ahead, bounding over to the border. Suddenly, she caught a whiff of something strangely familiar, yet not the Twolegplace or the bordering clan. Still, for a few heartbeats, she was unable to put a name to the scent. Then, with a pang of horror, she realized. "Badger!" she warned the four toms. Ashfur sniffed the air, and nodded.

Firestar's green eyes betrayed worry. "That's not good."

"We certainly don't want one on our territory," Willowpelt agreed. _Especially not to come for Whitestorm or my kits._ "Come on! Let's check whether it's here to settle in the forest, or if it's just passing through!" Thornclaw nodded and padded after her.

Soon enough, the patrol reached where its scent was strongest: Snakerocks. Sootpaw let out a whimper. "Are badgers really dangerous?"

"They'd kill you easily," Firestar confirmed, his voice grim. "Let's split up. Willowpelt, you and Ashfur check around that tall, flat boulder over there." He flicked his tail to what was almost an low, overhanging slab of rock. "Thornclaw, Sootpaw, and I will check down here."

Willowpelt nodded and flicked her tail, beckoning for Ashfur to follow. The light gray tom rose to his paws and padded after her. Willowpelt eyed the slab of rock jutting out above them, mentally measuring how high she had to jump. Bunching her muscles, she sprang upward, but her leap fell a little short, and she was forced to haul herself up after her forepaws fastened on the rock. Ashfur leaped after her, clambering onto the rock.

"Ashfur!" Willowpelt called, sniffing. "There's a scent here!" She padded over to the area where Snakerocks led out of the territory.

Ashfur looked hesitant. "I don't know if we should follow it..."

He was cut off by a huge lumbering sound, and Willowpelt gasped in horror as a huge black and white shape stalked over to them. _Badger!_ That was not the worst part, however. It was that, while Firestar and Thornclaw had scrambled to safety, Sootpaw was still left in the open space, cowering as the badger's huge paws loomed above him, ready to slam down on the dark gray apprentice.

Willowpelt's eyes widened. _I can't lose Sootpaw!_ She heard Firestar's yowl. "Sootpaw! Move!"

Ashfur leaped to his paws and sprang toward the badger, but she stopped him. "No. Wait. This is for me to do." The stars were clear in her head, shining, calling her toward them, as she dove forward, knocking her son out of the way. She let out a scream as she felt the badger's paws drive into her back, and pain enveloped her as she heard a crunch. Then, everything went black.

oO0Oo

Willowpelt awoke in a mellow landscape, the sun bright on the grass. She glimpsed so many of the cats she had once lost: Bluestar, Swiftbreeze, Adderfang, Redtail, Patchpelt, Spottedleaf, Leopardfoot... and so many more of her deceased clanmates. _I can rejoin you... finally._

"I'm dead, right?" she asked, hardly daring to pose the question.

Her sister, Spottedleaf, dipped her head, and Willowpelt purred, breathing in her sweet scent. "Well done. You gave your life for a clanmate."

Her mother, Swiftbreeze, padded forward to nuzzle her daughter. "Swiftbreeze!" she heard herself cry out. "I've missed you so much!" Her mother didn't reply, just pressed against her, the warmth of her fur spreading to Willowpelt. Redtail nodded, his eyes gleaming in admiration as he touched noses with her, and her other littermates, Leopardfoot and Patchpelt, dipped their heads to her, their gazes filled with affection. Her father, Adderfang, let out a purr as he met her strikingly blue gaze.

"You have done well in your lifetime." All the voices she had known and loved were combined into one. "But it was your time to join us, and you did so heroically, saving the life of a clanmate."

Willowpelt padded toward the group of StarClan cats, feeling a part of them. She stared at her light gray fur, and received the signal that she truly was a StarClan cat: her fur was glittering with stars. "Spottedleaf!" she mewed. She had always been close to her medicine cat sister, who had died under Clawface's claws.

Spottedleaf's eyes were dark, however. "What you did to come and join us simply delayed the future. Fate is inevitable, Willowpelt, just remember that."

oO0Oo

Willowpelt was staring intently into a pool of stars, watching ThunderClan from above. Her gray pelt was sleek and smooth as she proudly watched Firestar leap up onto the Highledge to call a clan meeting to make her kits warriors, at least, Rainpaw and Sootpaw. Sorrelpaw had injured herself, and thus had to wait for her moment. "Rainpaw, Sootpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

Her heart warmed as she heard her kits speak. "I do," Sootpaw mewed.

Rainpaw nodded. "I do."

"Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Sootpaw, from this moment onward, you will be known as Sootfur. StarClan honors your determination and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Willowpelt's eyes glowed as she watched her son lick Firestar's shoulder and step back. "Rainpaw, you will be known as Rainwhisker. StarClan honors your loyalty and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." She let out a purr as she saw her other son lick Firestar's shoulder in respect.

She whisked around her daughter, who was in the medicine den, and looked up at her in surprise. "Willowpelt?"

"Yes, Sorrelpaw." Willowpelt waved her tail, though she realized that Sorrelpaw probably couldn't see her. "I want to tell you that your turn is not far off, now."

oO0Oo

"Sorrelpaw, from this moment onward you will be known as Sorreltail. StarClan honors your determination and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Willowpelt watched proudly as her daughter padded forward and licked Firestar's shoulder before stepping back to the side.

 _I only wish I was there with her, to enjoy this moment,_ Willowpelt thought, gazing at her kits.

A shadow fell over her. "Are you watching Sorrelpaw's warrior ceremony?"

"Whitestorm!" Willowpelt mewed, purring. Her mate had joined StarClan a while back. "Yes. She's Sorreltail, now."

Whitestorm nodded, his eyes dark. "She had a hard path before becoming a warrior."

"I just hope the three of them won't have to join us anytime soon," Willowpelt remarked. "A great danger is coming to the clans. I hope that the chosen four return in time with the solution to the danger."

oO0Oo

Willowpelt watched, horrified, as badgers tore into the camp. _Midnight's warning came too late!_ she realized, her tail lashing in her worry and frustration. The clans had moved to the lake territories, but now it seemed as though the lake posed more danger than the forest. _Badgers!_

She padded over to the pool and looked down, her heart alive with worry. _Where's Sorreltail?_

Her question was answered by Cinderpelt's anxious wail. "Sorreltail's kitting!"

"What, now?" a cat snapped, most likely Brambleclaw.

"Yes, now!" the gray medicine cat mewed, her blue eyes glazed with frustration. Lowering her voice, she muttered, "I wish Leafpool was here to help." The lithe, pale brown tabby she-cat had vanished from the clans to be with her mate, Crowfeather of WindClan.

Willowpelt spotted Rainwhisker easily, fighting off a badger with Cloudtail. She gasped as her son crumpled to the ground, his leg bent at an awkward angle. She felt Whitestorm beside her, but barely turned her head to greet her mate. Whitestorm laid his tail on her shoulder. "It's not his time... yet. His leg is hurt, nothing more."

 _Where's Sootfur?_ She gasped as she watched Sootfur left alone to fight a badger, that was about to slam its paws down on his head. "Sootfur!" she yowled, though she knew he couldn't hear her from the clans. Her blue eyes filled with tears as her dark gray son let out a heart-piercing cry as he fell to the ground, heaving a final breath before his eyes closed. "Sootfur!" she mewed, watching as her son raced from the top of a golden hill down to her.

Suddenly, Spottedleaf's words rung in her ears. _Fate is inevitable, Willowpelt, just remember that._

Sootfur had been destined to die under a badger's claws. Willowpelt had just delayed his death when he had been an apprentice, but he had died now, the way he had always been fated to die. "Sootfur, you had always been fated to die because of a badger, and I just delayed your death," Willowpelt mewed.

"Thank you." Sootfur dipped his head to his mother.

Willowpelt sighed before responding, and her words rung with a greater wisdom. "Your fate was unavoidable."


	3. Bloodstained Paws - Brindleface

Brindleface let out a purr as her adopted son, Cloudpaw, padded into the clearing, his blue eyes gleaming with anticipation. The long-haired white tom would never believe in StarClan, but Bluestar seemed to be completely _against_ StarClan, which, in Brindleface's opinion, was much worse. Bluestar's deep blue eyes were dull with blank emotion as she nodded to Cloudpaw. "Cloudpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

Brindleface flinched as she realized that her leader had lost all faith in StarClan, and simply spoke the words because of an ancient tradition.

Cloudpaw dipped his head. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name." Bluestar's voice shook, and Brindleface could tell it took her an effort to speak. "Cloudpaw, from this moment onward you will be known as Cloudtail. StarClan honors your courage and independence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Brindleface let out an amused purr at the word 'independence'; his mentor, Fireheart, the clan deputy, found it difficult to mentor the wayward apprentice.

Brindleface took up the call. "Cloudtail! Cloudtail!" Other cats joined in with her.

Cloudtail was her foster-son, as Fireheart had brought him to the clan, saying that his sister, a kittypet, had offered to give up her first son for clan life. She padded over to him and greeted him affectionately. "Congratulations, Cloudtail!"

His close friend, Brightpaw, offered a subdued congratulations. Though she also deserved to be a warrior, because of Bluestar's mental state, her ceremony would have to be later on. Cloudtail nodded his thanks to Brindleface and turned his blue gaze to his former mentor. Fireheart dipped his head in congratulations.

"Why can't we be warriors?" Brindleface's true kits, Ashpaw and Fernpaw, had just barely become apprenticed, and they still had lots of energy. They were mostly referred to as the 'younger apprentices', while Brightpaw, Swiftpaw, Thornpaw, and earlier, Cloudtail, had been the 'older apprentices'. Brindleface didn't reply, just shook her head.

"Remember, you have to sit vigil tonight." Fireheart lowered his voice, but Brindleface and Cloudtail could still catch his words. "Keep the clan safe from Tigerstar."

Cloudtail let out a snort. "I'm not afraid of Tigerstar!"

"Well, you should be," Fireheart growled. "He's a danger to us all."

oO0Oo

Brindleface choked out a sob as she saw Swiftpaw's limp body in the clearing. Longtail, his mentor, buried his nose in the black and white tom's fur. That morning, he and Brightpaw had gone out to look for what was killing off the ThunderClan cats. Swiftpaw, unfortunately, had died fighting.

Brightpaw had survived, but at a terrible cost. Bluestar had blamed StarClan for this brought down her wrath on the young apprentice, making her a warrior with the name of Lostface. Thornclaw, recently made a warrior, padded over to Swiftpaw's body and stared sadly into the apprentice's glazed eyes.

"It's Brightpaw... Lostface... you need to worry about," a voice murmured at her side. It was Frostfur, her sister, a pure white she-cat with blue eyes. "Have you seen her?" Brindleface shook her head. Frostfur narrowed her eyes. "Then go on. She and Cloudtail are in the medicine den with Cinderpelt." Brindleface nodded. Frostfur was Lostface's mother, so she was right to be upset. She couldn't help but feel that Swiftpaw's death had something to do with Tigerstar.

 _How many cats will you take away from us, Tigerstar?_ Brindleface thought despairingly. Her mate, Redtail, had been the ThunderClan deputy before he was killed by Tigerstar, Tigerclaw at the time, who wanted to be deputy of ThunderClan. This, of course, had happened before the treacherous tom had been exiled and joined ShadowClan.

Brindleface swallowed her grief and padded into the medicine den, her green eyes worried. Frostfur had sounded as though something was seriously wrong with Lostface. _What's happened to her?_ Instead of seeing the white and ginger she-cat that she had expected to see, a whole new cat awaited her. It was almost impossible to see the white and ginger on Lostface; her entire pelt was caked with drying blood. Her once soft fur was spiky with blood, and she was missing a whole eye. Scars covered her muzzle and face, and claw marks were all over her pelt.

"Lostface!" The she-cat was asleep, but as Brindleface called out her name, her head lifted, and her one blue eye opened, now wild with emotion.

"Pack, pack!" Lostface gasped out. "Kill, kill!" Before Brindleface could ask her anything, the she-cat was already asleep. Cloudtail lay beside her, protectively laying his tail over her weak body. He turned to Brindleface and shrugged helplessly.

"That's all she'll say for now," Cloudtail mewed. His mew hardened. "When I find out what did this to her, I'll tear it apart!"

 _I just hope it's not Tigerstar, then,_ Brindleface thought. _Cloudtail, you may be a wonderful fighter, but I don't know if you're as good as Tigerstar._

oO0Oo

The mottled gray tabby she-cat padded into the apprentices' den, finding two cats inside. Inside the apprentices' den were Ashpaw and Fernpaw, whose eyes brightened as they saw her. Brindleface padded inside and nuzzled her daughter, curling her tail around her son. "How is you training going?" she asked.

Ashpaw shrugged. "It's fine. Dustpelt is a good mentor."

Fernpaw let out a small whimper, her eyes wide. "I wish Darkstripe was _half_ as kind. I'm starting to get the impression that he still supports Tigerstar."

"What?" Brindleface mewed, gaping. She definitely hadn't expected this from little Fernpaw. Her daughter always had been the more gentle of her two surviving kits, and Ashpaw the more fiercely loyal one. Her other two kits had died at a very young age.

Ashpaw stared at Fernpaw in horror and pressed closer to her. Despite what Fernpaw had said, Brindleface let out a purr as she saw her kits so kind and understanding toward each other. _Were Frostfur and I that close?_ She and her sister were close friends, but maybe not as close as Ashpaw and Fernpaw, who would always support one another.

"I think so," Fernpaw mewed, in a small voice. "Darkstripe always talks about how Tigerstar was such a strong and great warrior..."

Brindleface stiffened, and a shadow fell in the entrance to the apprentices' den. Her green eyes blazed as she saw that the newcomer was Darkstripe himself, his eyes glowering at Fernpaw. "Did anyone say my name?" he growled.

"N-no," Ashpaw mewed quickly.

Darkstripe narrowed his yellow eyes but shrugged. "I came to get Fernpaw. We're going battle training." Fernpaw nodded meekly and rose to her paws, trailing behind the dark tom. Brindleface couldn't help but notice how Darkstripe shoved her forward, but she didn't want to think badly of her clanmate. She didn't know whether to believe Fernpaw or not.

"How about you?" Brindleface mewed, turning to Ashpaw. "How's Dustpelt?"

"He's a little... dry, but he's a loyal cat, a great mentor!" Ashpaw mewed.

"Good."

oO0Oo

Brindleface nodded to Ashpaw and Fernpaw. "I'll just go and take a walk," she mewed. "I'll be back soon." Ashpaw nodded, and Fernpaw waved her tail in a silent farewell. With that, the mottled gray tabby padded out of camp, her tail twitching as she padded into the forest.

The sky was clouded and pale, but the sun still shone brightly down, scorching her pelt as she padded along. A hawk flew overhead, letting out a screech, but Brindleface was well-protected by the trees that shadowed over her. She let out a purr. She had always loved the forest, the clean, cool air, and the scent of water.

Suddenly, Brindleface saw a pair of hard, narrowed amber eyes peering at her. She blinked, and it was gone.

Still, she couldn't help but feel that she recognized those amber eyes, from somewhere. It brought to her a sense that the forest was suddenly too dangerous, and was full of enemies. Brindleface shuddered, shaking her head furiously to clear her thoughts.

Just then, an all-too-familiar massive dark brown tabby tom leaped in front of her, barring her path. His amber eyes glared at her, twinkling with a sadistic pleasure. Brindleface took a few pawsteps back, her green eyes widening in terror. "Tigerstar?"

The muscular tom leapt forward, bowling her over and pinning Brindleface down. Brindleface struggled, her eyes wild with terror. She opened her jaws to let out a yowl of warning, but before she could make a sound, Tigerstar's paw clamped down over her jaws, muffling her mew.

"One sound, and you'll be joining StarClan," Tigerstar growled, his voice low. Brindleface squirmed helplessly as the ShadowClan leader held her down firmly. "Before you die, how about I tell you my plans?" he gloated. "I'll bring a pack of huge dogs down onto ThunderClan. And I'll use _you_ to give the pack a taste for the blood of ThunderClan cats."

"No!" Brindleface protested, but her voice rose to a cry of pain as Tigerstar slashed his long claws across her belly, drawing blood.

Tigerstar smirked. "You don't mess with the ShadowClan leader, Brindleface," he mewed, scoring his claws across her chest.

Brindleface's green eyes were challenging, despite the fear inside her. "I will, Tigerstar, if the ShadowClan leader happens to threaten my clan by bringing down a dog pack on them."

The tabby tom's amber eyes blazing, and his claws reached for her, slashing over her pelt, criss-crossing it with dark red streaks. Brindleface struggled as Tigerstar leaned closer and bit down on her neck. His voice was uncomfortably close to her ear as he spoke. "And _because_ you know my plan, you will be hunting with StarClan soon enough."

Brindleface spat and drove a set of sharp claws into his shoulder. Tigerstar let out a growl and raked a set of claws across her face. _Why did I promise Ashpaw and Fernpaw I would come back to them? I won't be able to come back after Tigerstar finishes with me!_

The ShadowClan leader's teeth tore into her throat, and Brindleface let out a gasp of pain and fury. She writhed under him as he raked his long front claws across her green eyes. Temporarily blinded, Brindleface whimpered, and Tigerstar rose to his paws, taking her neck in his jaws. She felt herself being dragged across the forest floor, and gasped as her head met claws.

"I'm going to finish you off, now," Tigerstar warned, tearing his claws deeper into her head. Brindleface moaned and shook her head wildly until Tigerstar let go. However, the treacherous tabby tom's claws now rested on her neck for a heartbeat before tearing into her throat.

Brindleface gasped for breath. "You can kill me, Tigerstar," she growled. "But no matter how many times you wash your paws, my blood will stain it forever." The last thing she saw was two bloodstained paws tear into her throat as she let out a final breath and the light died forever from her green eyes.


	4. Pointless Vengeance - Sandgorse

Sandgorse padded into the WindClan camp, his amber eyes hardening, and his pale, thin ginger fur bristling as his gaze landed on his son, Tallpaw. The black and white tom was staring at him, his long tail twitching. Suddenly, memories of why he and his son had grown so far apart flickered through his mind.

 _"I'm sorry," Tallpaw, who had just become an apprentice, mewed. "Should I ask Heatherstar to become a tunneler instead of a moor runner?"  
_

 _Sandgorse looked up, his amber eyes narrowed to slits. "Do you want to?"  
_

 _"Well, no, but-" his son had mewed._

 _"Then don't." With that, Sandgorse had turned away, leaving his son to pad helplessly out of the den. For Tallpaw's entire kithood, Sandgorse had spent time and effort training him to become a valuable tunneler for the clan. Heatherstar had even promised that the next apprentice would be a tunneler. At the last minute, however, the WindClan leader had backed out, making Tallpaw into a moor runner instead, so Sandgorse would never work alongside his son.  
_

 _What was even worse was that his son wanted to be a moor runner, not a tunneler._

Tallpaw padded over to him, and he turned to his son, amber eyes blazing. "Sandgorse?" he asked, his voice so small and innocent that Sandgorse couldn't help but look at the black and white tom.

"What?"

"I... I'm sorry, Sandgorse. I know you always wanted me to tunnel beside you, but I want to be a moor runner," his son mewed, honestly and directly. Sandgorse sighed.

"I suppose I can't force you to like tunneling," he mewed gruffly. "It's your choice what you want to become."

Tallpaw nodded, his amber eyes, that were so much like Sandgorse's, gleaming, as the two realized that their friendship had the slightest chance of being restored. _I shouldn't have forced him to like tunneling,_ Sandgorse realized. _He would just develop more hatred toward it._

"Sandgorse? Hello?" Tallpaw was prodding his with a soft paw. "You were in a world of your own!"

"Well, what is it?" Sandgorse snapped.

"Wh-what do you think about the... _newcomers?"_ Tallpaw mewed, referring to the cats that spent part of the year in WindClan, and the other part as rogues or loners or barn cats. Sandgorse had noticed that Tallpaw particularly disliked Sparrow, a short-furred, dark brown tom that was part of the rogues.

"I don't see what you find wrong in Sparrow," Sandgorse mewed. "He's just another one of them."

Tallpaw sighed. "I know, but there's something I don't like about him."

oO0Oo

Sandgorse lifted his head as Heatherstar spoke. "Sandgorse, would you take Sparrow on a short tour of tunneling?" He dipped his head, and the gray she-cat's deep blue eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Go on. Thank you, Sandgorse."

Sandgorse nodded again and padded into the warriors' den, where he found the dark brown tom speaking to Dawnstripe. "Sparrow?"

The tom jumped, startled, and turned to face him. "Sandgorse? What happened?"

"Heatherstar said you were... _interested_ in tunneling and that... I should take you on a tour of some of the tunnels. Come along!" Sandgorse flicked his pale ginger tail and padded out of the den, turning back once to check that Sparrow was following him out.

"What's first?"

"Follow me." Sandgorse dropped into a crouch and crept into one of the tunnels. He padded down, lower, deeper into the darkness, hearing Sparrow groping cautiously around behind him. "It's all right!" he called. "Don't worry! _We_ dug these, not rabbits!" He heard Sparrow purr in amusement as the dark brown tom followed him through.

Suddenly, the two reached a split pathway, and Sandgorse veered to the left. Sparrow sniffed the air and padded toward the split, then halted, confused, before turning to the right. "Sandgorse? Where are you?"

"I said _follow me!"_ Sandgorse snapped padding back after Sparrow. "Where in StarClan are you?"

He didn't have to ask. He could tell that Sparrow had reached another split, this time splitting into three separate tunnels. Being a tunneler of WindClan, Sandgorse was used to this darkness, and had learned to recognize things by their smells and sounds when he was unable to see through the darkness. Still, his amber eyes were slowly getting used to the dark, and he sniffed the air before padding after Sparrow.

"There you are!" Sparrow sounded relieved.

"Next time, _follow me."_ Sandgorse turned back, then paused, pricking his ears as he heard a faint rumble.

"What's wrong?"

Sandgorse's mew was panicked. "The tunnels are going to collapse soon. We have to get out of here." His eyes wild with fear, he turned and raced out, feeling Sparrow's breath on his tail. _StarClan help us!_ Rock collapsed on all sides of them. "Sparrow, I need you to run out of here as fast as you can. I'll hold the rocks up as best as I can when you go."

"But what about you?"

Sandgorse let out a hiss. _Well, I'll be killed._ "Don't worry about me! Just go!" _Isn't that what being part of a clan is all about? Looking after each other!_ With that, he gave a final nod to Sparrow and held the roof of the tunnel in place while Sparrow turned tail and raced back out of the tunnels.

Sandgorse felt his paw weaken, and he released the rocks he had held up, and the rocks piled all around him, the roar of water echoing in his ears as the world went black forever.

oO0Oo

"Welcome, Sandgorse." All the voices Sandgorse had known and lost rang together in a chorus of one, clear mew.

His heart warmed as his amber eyes rested on a particular cat, a kit, _his_ kit. "Finchkit!" he yowled, his voice wondering and kind. "I missed you so much!" His daughter, a ginger she-cat, padded over to him and touched noses to Sandgorse.

"Welcome." A few other cats padded forward and mewed greetings to him, before padding away. Sandgorse watched as the StarClan cats dispersed, leaving him alone, left to pad up to his sister, Feathershade, who was staring into a pool, worry evident in her blue gaze and bristling pale gray fur.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

Feathershade hardly turned her glance to stare at her brother. "Tallpaw."

"What's wrong with him?"

This time, the pale gray she-cat did turn to look at Sandgorse, her blue eyes anxious. "Tallpaw thinks Sparrow was responsible for your death," she mewed. "He's angry, and he wants to get revenge on Sparrow. I don't know how far he'll go, though."

"And... we can do nothing?"

Feathershade shook her head. "No. When the time is right, we can tell him the truth. He has a great destiny, you know."

"He does?"

His sister flicked her tail. "Follow, and you'll see." She led him over to a side of the pool, where the light seemed to strike it and make it glitter. "Look." His son, stood on the Clanrock, his head high, chest puffed out. And his clanmates were calling out for him.

"Tallstar! Tallstar!"

"He's destined to become _clan leader?_ With all this... hatred?" Sandgorse snapped. Feathershade shot him a look, and he sighed. "I suppose they would never have made him a clan leader if he was never a moor runner."

Feathershade rolled her eyes. "Sandgorse, there's no more tunneling. WindClan got rid of it because of your death."

"No!"

"Yes, they did. You wouldn't want more death, would you?" Feathershade snapped.

"I guess not."

"Good."

oO0Oo

Sandgorse watched helplessly from above as Tallpaw, now named Talltail, padded alongside Sparrow, and his group of rogues. Soon enough, he heard his son speak to Sparrow and another she-cat he couldn't recognize from where he stood. "Sparrow, can you and I go hunting alone?"

Sparrow narrowed his eyes, then shrugged, his brown tail swishing as he nodded. "Come on, then."

Sandgorse's heart stopped as he glimpsed Talltail leading the rogue cat over to the cliff. He heard Talltail mutter something inaudible, his eyes blazing with fury. _This is the time._ Without hesitation, he wreathed around his son. "I held up the rocks so he could escape, Talltail. I _told_ him to escape and leave me."

Talltail jerked up, his amber eyes startled, then nodded.

oO0Oo

"Your last life is for forgiveness," Sandgorse mewed, padding forward and resting his muzzle on the WinClan deputy's head. Talltail gazed up at him, his eyes full of longing and loss. "I couldn't be more proud of you, my son. I give you your leader name, Tallstar."

Tallstar lifted his head proudly as the StarClan cats called his name. "Tallstar! Tallstar! Tallstar!"

Sandgorse padded over to him. "I told Sparrow to escape and leave me behind, Tallstar. There was no need for anger, for that was what a warrior would have done. It was good that you saw past your hatred and left your pointless vengeance behind to come back to serve your clan."


	5. I Never Forgot You - Crowfeather

Crowpaw's green eyes flitted up to the Great Rock as ThunderClan's leader, Firestar, stepped forward. Though he was from WindClan, Crowpaw couldn't help admiring the proud courage that shone about the flame-colored tom as he dipped his head, ready to speak. "ThunderClan is well," he mewed, his rich, deep voice carrying out to the entire clearing at Fourtrees. "We have two new apprentices, my own daughters. Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw!"

Crowpaw let out a welcoming purr. "Squirrelpaw! Leafpaw!"

But Firestar wasn't finished. He waved his tail for silence, and a hush fell over the gathering. "Leafpaw has chosen to be apprenticed to Cinderpelt, that is, become a medicine cat."

More welcoming cheers rang out, and Crowpaw joined in from where he stood beside his mentor, Mudclaw. "Leafpaw! Leafpaw!" Looking toward where the medicine cats sat, Crowpaw saw a beautiful, lithe brown tabby she-cat raise her head, acknowledging the welcoming cheers. As his own leader, Tallstar, began to speak, Crowpaw found he couldn't draw his eyes off the ThunderClan medicine cat apprentice.

His green stare ran over her glossy, smooth pelt, her dignified poise, and her warm amber eyes. Suddenly, Leafpaw turned her head toward him, and their gazes met for a heartbeat. Crowpaw abruptly drew his gaze away, shaking his fur. _No, Crowpaw! You can't have feelings for her, she's a ThunderClan medicine cat!_

A new cat brushed forward, and Crowpaw caught the blue gaze of a RiverClan warrior he had never seen before. The silver she-cat whisked her feathery tail over his back, and the black apprentice let out an uncontrollable purr. Startled at himself, he whipped around to fully look at the beautiful silver tabby for the first time. He pushed the thought of her RiverClan scent to the back of his mind as he pressed against her for a heartbeat.

"Hello," the she-cat mewed gently, her blue eyes soft and sparkling, drawing Crowpaw in. "I'm Feathertail."

 _Feathertail, huh?_ Crowpaw thought. _A perfect name for you._ He glanced at her long, plumy tail. "Crowpaw," he mewed, the faintest traces of a blush creeping into his cheeks. "I'm Crowpaw." And Feathertail nodded, her long tail deliberately draping over his back as she walked away, leaving the night-black tom staring after her in wonder.

oO0Oo

"You!" The speaker was Brambleclaw, a young but strong warrior of ThunderClan.

Crowpaw shot him a glare but met his gaze evenly. "Yes, me."

Four cats, him and these three others, apparently, had been given dreams where a StarClan warrior spoke to them, warning them of danger, telling them to meet at Fourtrees that night. For Crowpaw, it had been Deadfoot, his father, who had spoken. However, to his confusion, there were five cats in front of him, making six in total. Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Feathertail- his heart leaped -Stormfur, and Tawnypelt.

Tawnypelt, a mottled tortoiseshell, padded forward, her green eyes gleaming with curiosity. "This is a WindClan cat, right?" she asked, clearly wondering how he and Brambleclaw knew each other. "Undersized specimen..."

"He's an apprentice," Brambleclaw explained. "His name's Crowpaw."

 _I have a mouth of my own, thank you, and I can speak for myself._ He and Brambleclaw had met on a patrol, where he had attacked the dark brown tabby because Brambleclaw had called WindClan theives. "Well? Wasn't the dream for four cats?"

"Well... yes." Stormfur seemed awkward in explaining himself.

Feathertail stepped forward helpfully. "He wouldn't let me go and meet other cats on my own. I had the dream, though."

Crowpaw snorted. "And who else?" His green eyes stared around, watching the other cats warily. He stared as Squirrelpaw ducked her head from where she stood beside Brambleclaw. The ginger she-cat looked so much like Firestar, Crowpaw realized, but she was definitely far more annoying.

"I tracked Brambleclaw leaving camp," she muttered.

Crowpaw rolled his eyes. "Then why don't you two leave the four of us who _actually were chosen_ to settle this together?" he snapped, his claws unsheathing. "We'd be better off, then." He finished with a pointed glare at Squirrelpaw.

The ginger apprentice snarled. "I don't see themselves falling over themselves to welcome you, either."

Crowpaw's muscles tensed, and he sprang at Squirrelpaw. _How dare she! I, at least, was chosen by StarClan!_ However, it wasn't Squirrelpaw's small form that he collided with; it was Brambleclaw's muscular one. Taken by surprise, he fell back, and Brambleclaw pinned him down easily. "Back off."

Feathertail, who had been watching quietly all this time, padded closer, her blue eyes gleaming with anger. She nudged Brambleclaw off Crowpaw, her claws unsheathed. "Leave him be," she mewed, standing in front of the ThunderClan tom. Tawnypelt murmured something in Brambleclaw's ear, giving Crowpaw a chance to speak to Feathertail.

"Thanks," he murmured.

Feathertail shrugged. "I wouldn't want to see _you_ get hurt." Crowpaw looked up, startled. Was she really saying... yes! Crowpaw could see warmth glowing in her blue eyes as her pelt delicately brushed his. Then, she stiffened, and Crowpaw saw Stormfur padding toward them. "Not now," she muttered. But inside, Crowpaw was bright with happiness.

oO0Oo

"Your final assessment's soon, Crowpaw-" Mudclaw, his mentor, began.

Crowpaw cut him off. "How _very_ shocking."

"And," Mudclaw continued, ignoring Crowpaw's sarcastic remark as usual, "if you don't shape up, you'll fail the hunting test! How _could_ you miss that rabbit! It was right in your paws!"

Crowpaw didn't reply. He knew that his mind was fixed on Feathertail, but he shook her image away and started stalking another rabbit.

"Mudclaw! Crowpaw!" a voice called. It was Ashfoot, Crowpaw's mother.

"Yes, Ashfoot?" Mudclaw mewed. As well as Crowpaw's mentor, he was the clan deputy.

Ashfoot was panting. It was clear she had run from camp all the way to where they stood now, at the ThunderClan and RiverClan border. "Crowpaw, you can stay here, but Tallstar wants you and me back at camp."

Mudclaw nodded. "Crowpaw, finish hunting alone. And make sure you have something to show for your hunt!" Crowpaw rolled his eyes as his mentor and his mother raced away, over the moor. _Well, you certainly scared off the rabbit I saw._ He opened his jaws to taste the air. _Rabbit!_ He located the furry creature soon enough, facing away from him.

Crowpaw dropped into a crouch and stalked toward it, his pawsteps light. _I can't miss this one._ He growled and pounced, biting triumphantly down on the rabbit's neck, sitting up with the prey in his jaws. As soon as he dropped it, something fell onto his head. He growled and shook it off, as another landed on him. "Who threw that?" he demanded, his claws unsheathing.

"Hush! Crowpaw! It's me!" An all-too-familiar voice filled his ears as Feathertail stepped toward him, still on her side of the RiverClan border.

"Feathertail?"

In seconds, Stormfur, Brambleclaw, and Tawnypelt stepped closer. "A _pleasure_ to see you all." He stopped short, seeing Tawnypelt. "What are _you_ doing on ThunderClan territory?"

"Hush!" Tawnypelt snapped. "Do you want to bring all the clans here?"

Brambleclaw stepped forward. "I think we should go to the sun-drown place. I had a dream that we should go there... I mean, StarClan didn't come right out and say so, but I'm sure it's a sign." Crowpaw narrowed his eyes.

"StarClan didn't send _me_ one. Why you and not me?"

Tawnypelt let out a long hiss and unsheathed her claws. "We _have_ to go, don't you see! It's StarClan's order!"

"No!" Crowpaw snapped, his eyes wide. "I'm not leaving, following you into the unknown. I'm almost a warrior, and I'm not leaving WindClan!"

Feathertail stepped forward. _You can't be supporting them!_ "Please, Crowpaw!" Her eyes shone with a strange light. "You'll be honored by your clan! It'll be perfect!"

Crowpaw sighed. "All right," he mewed grudgingly. "I'll come. But I'm not taking orders from you, Brambleclaw!"

oO0Oo

As he buried his nose into Feathertail's limp body, Crowpaw saw his to-be-mate lift her head weakly, and repeat something he had told her before, when she had nearly fallen from a ledge. "Think you have nine lives, do you? I saved you this once - don't make me do it again."

"No, Feathertail, no!" His voice rose to a wail.

The beautiful silver tabby had fallen from the cave roof, killing Sharptooth, a lion that haunted the tribe, while saving Crowpaw. It had been prophesied that a silver cat would do so, but he thought it had been Stormfur. _Why Feathertail, StarClan?_

"Don't leave me!" he begged.

"I won't." Feathertail's eyes started to glaze over. "I will always be with you."

Crowpaw lapped his tongue over her cheek one last time. However, in the back of his mind, he felt a stab of guilt. A teasing voice sounded in his head: "Crowpaw, it was her destiny!" It was the lithe brown tabby he had seen at the gathering - Leafpaw, was it? - and somehow, her image had stuck. Her beautiful amber eyes, delicate form...

Leafpaw somehow reminded him of Feathertail... her warm gaze and gentle movements.

oO0Oo

 _We made it. We led the clans to a new home._ Crowpaw could hardly believe it himself.

The journey of the six, now four, had been a success, but at a terrible cost. Feathertail, his beloved Feathertail, had died, and her brother, Stormfur, had chosen to remain with the Tribe of Rushing Water.

When they had arrived, Crowpaw, newly named Crowfeather, in honor of Feathertail, of course, had seen the faintest outline of a silver tabby shape purring near the edge of the lake.

The four clans had arrived with the lake, and StarClan had gone with them.

oO0Oo

Lightning and thunder crashed, and Crowfeather saw a tree fall. Almost immediately, yowls went up.

Had the tree crushed the warriors who were fighting Mudclaw, the arrogant tom who had tried to take over the clans? No, it had simply crushed Mudclaw himself. Almost immediately, he spotted three cats racing past him.

The last he could have recognized anywhere. _Leafpool!_

She was chasing ShadowClan invaders from ThunderClan territory. Crowfeather felt a feeling of foreboding sink in his heart. They were headed for the hollow, where a cat could break their necks if they fell. Jumping to his paws, he tore after them. He couldn't care less for the ShadowClan toms, but if Leafpool was hurt... he would never forgive himself.

He spotted Leafpool, tumbling over the edge, her eyes wide with terror. But though the ShadowClan toms fell, she dug her claws into the solid ground, but she couldn't pull herself up. Her pleading eyes turned to Crowfeather for help.

Immediately, Crowfeather saw Feathertail standing in front of him. What would she think if she found his love for Leafpool? Torn, he let out a cry. "I'm sorry, Feathertail..."

Just before Leafpool could fall, his teeth fastened firmly in her scruff as he dragged her to safety. "Thank you, Crowfeather!"

"Leafpool, I... ever since I saw you at the gathering... I... have never let go of the image of you, and I think..."

"Oh, I love you too, Crowfeather."

"I never forgot you."


End file.
